Towel-holder



(No Mod L. RISTOL. J. 0. BAXTER &-. J. M. SEARLES. TOWEL HOLDER.

No. 569,608. Patented Oct. 20, 1896.

mum/m,mummm! UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

LUCIUS F. BRISTOL, OF SnELL ROCK, AND JOHN o. BAXTER AND JAMES M. SEARLES, or CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.-

TOWEL-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,608, dated October 20, 1896.

Application filed February 3, 1896. Serial No. 577,819. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LUCIUS F. BRISTOL, residing at Shell Rock, Butler county, and JOHN O. BAXTER and J AMES M. SEARLES, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn, State of Iowa, citizens of the United States, ha veinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Towel-Holders; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of towelholders used in public places, such as saloons; and our object is to produce a neat, simple, and convenient device for holding the towel normally out of sight, but adapted to allow its withdrawal when in use, the towel returning automatically to its normal position as soon as released.

A device embodying the invention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of such a towel-' holder. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section of the same in a vertical plane. Fig. 3 is a front elevation illustrating the working parts of the device detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The device is more particularly intended for use over Saloon-bars, though applicable to many other uses, and is designed to hold a short towel extended full length.

A is the case, preferably of sheet metal, and may be ornamented or decorated as desired. This has a flared m outh A at the lower end to facilitate the return of the towel when drawn out, particularly when drawn out sidewise.

To the upper end is attached a Suitable device for suspending the case from the ceiling, such as a bail B and a cord C, or pair of cords, as indicated by the diverging dotted lines. The case is divided vertically by a partition A, extending nearly its full length, to prevent any interference of the towel in one compartment and the counterbalance-weight in the other. In the upper end of the case is secured a roll-bearing consisting of a pair of bearings K K and a connecting-bridge L. Journ aled in these bearings'is a roll E. Near each end of the roll is attached a strap of webbing F, which at the lower end connects with the corresponding arm j of a spring-clip J, adapted to hold oneend of the towel by spring-pressure. At the middle of the roll, which is of smaller diameter than the end portions, so that the weight does not travel as far as the towel, is connected anotherstrap G, to the lower end of which is connected a weight H. In practice this weight is a suitablelump of lead, inclosed in a leather sack or pocket, so as not to Wear with an unpleasant sound on the sides of the compartment in which it travels up and down.

The straps F F pass through slots Z l in the bridge L, and the strap G through another slot, 1. These serve as guides for the straps, and prevent the possibility of their running out of their proper course and becoming entangled with each other.

A semicircular cap D fits the upper end of the case A and covers the head-block K K L and connected parts. The cap is made detachable, so as to give convenient access to the parts within.

The towel M is suspended to hang, normally, a little below the bottom of thecase A. It may thus be easily grasped, drawn out, and used, and on the release of the same it flies back to place, almost entirely concealed from observation.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. The combination in a towel-holder, of the case A having flared, open, lower end A and partition A, supporting means 13, the headblock K K having bridge L with slots ZZZ therein, roller E with a reduced middle portion towel-supporting straps F F with springclip J, and strap G with weight H, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a towel-holder, the combination of a case having one compartment, open at the bottom, to receive the towel, and another, open at the upper end, to receive a weight, a roller mounted revolubly in a head-block at In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LUCIUS F. .llRlS'lOL. JOHN O. BAXTER. JAMES M. SEARLES. \Vitnesses to signature of Lucius F. BristOl:

A. GRAY, T. J. BLY. lVitnesses to signatures of John O. llaxier and James M. Searles:

HARLAN G. EASTMAN, J. F. GROAT. 

